LEADER

Best months: Jul–Sep

Protected Area

Castlemartin Coast

Why dive here

With 176+ marine species recorded in the area - including blue sharks, dolphins, dwarf minke whales, humpback whales and ocean sunfish (mola mola) - LEADER offers some of Cornwall & Devon's richest wreck diving. Water ranges 10-18°C, warmest July, August, September.

Best timeJul–Sep

WetsuitA 5mm wetsuit

Marine lifeBlue Sharks, Dolphins, Dwarf Minke Whales, Humpback Whales and Ocean Sunfish (Mola Mola) · 176+ species recorded

Water10-18°C · warmest July, August, September

CharacterWreck dive · max 16m

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

The Leader, a sailing vessel that met its end in 1928, is a cracker of a wreck for the UK. At a maximum depth of 16 metres, it’s accessible to most divers, and you really feel the history here. We love how intact the bow section is, often standing proud from the seabed, giving you a real sense of its former glory. Dropping down, the first thing you notice is the way light filters through the kelp forest that dances above the wreck. It’s got this eerie, beautiful quality, especially when the sun is out. You’ll find conger eels tucked into every crevice, their heads poking out, and the main deck is usually swarming with pollack and bib. Look closely for dogfish resting in the sand just off the hull. The stern is more broken up, but it’s a fantastic spot for finding scorpionfish camouflaged amongst the plates. We’d suggest diving this one on a slack tide, if you can time it right, to fully appreciate the detail and avoid battling any surge. It’s a proper dive for wreck enthusiasts who appreciate a bit of structure and plenty of fish life.